Volunteers guide hatchling turtles to the sea at Kommos beach
Volunteers from the Sea Turtle Protection Society of Greece, “ARCHELON,” helped a group of hatchling sea turtles reach the water at Kommos beach in the Municipality of Faistos on the morning of Sunday, August 23.
The scene unfolded at Kommos, next to Matala, in the southern part of the Heraklion regional unit — an area considered particularly important for sea turtle nesting.
According to the report, two ARCHELON volunteers carefully opened a nest where several hatchlings had been left behind, unable to make their way to the surface on their own.
Without touching the hatchlings by hand, the volunteers dug a small furrow in the sand so the newborn turtles could move toward the sea themselves, following their natural path.
The intervention was carried out with particular care so that the hatchlings would not be diverted from the natural process of emerging from the nest and heading toward the water.
A video of the rescue was shared by the local initiative “Dia-SOS-te ti Mesara.”
Sea turtle nesting sites along Crete’s beaches are monitored by conservation volunteers throughout the summer season, part of wider efforts tied to nature experiences in Crete that draw both residents and visitors to the island’s coastline.
